Railway signaling device.



E. S. WRIGHT.

RAILWAY SIGNALING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9, 1915.

.2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

E. S. WRIGHT.

RAILWAY SIGNALING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED mm. 9, i915.

Patentedfiept. 12,1916" 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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I l||||l lilvl IIIIIIIIIIIIII ELLIS S. WEIGHT, 0]? NEW YORK, N. Y.

RAILWAY SIGNALING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented graph. T2, 1916.

Application filed. January 9, 1915. Serial No. 1,383.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELLis S. WRIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Signaling Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in electric signals for railway trains and has for its primary object to provide a simple and elfective signaling device that is to be attached to a railway train and will operate a signal in the cab of the locomotive of the train should anyone of the cars of the train become uncoupled.

One of the objects of my invention is to rovide a novel and eifective coupling means or electrically connecting the several cars of a train with each other in such manner that when one of the cars is uncoupled a signal in the cab of the locomotive of the train will be operated, said coupling members when coupled, forming an electrical connection for the several cars of the train with one another but providing an open circuit so that operation of the signal is prevented until the coupling members are moved away or out of coupled position.

Another object is to generally improve and simplify the construction and operation of signaling devices of the character described so as to render them more practical, efiective in operation and inexpensive to install and maintain in operation.

The above and additional objects are accomplished by such means as are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification and then more particularly pointed out in the claims.

With reference to the drawings, wherein I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of my invention as it is reduced to pract ce, and throughout the several views of which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a plan view of a railway car showing it equipped with my improved signaling apparatus, F g. 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken through one of the coupling and circuit closing members, Fig. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken through one of the coupling circuit closing members,

Fig. 4c is a horizontal sectional view of a slightly modified form of the invention taken through two of the coupling members showing them in coupled position and the circuit closing means carried thereby in such position that the electrical circuit is open, and Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of the device attached to a train.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, A designates as an entirety the floor of a railway car to which is attached upon the under face thereof a number of electrical conductors which are connected at ilgheir ends with coupling circuit closing memers.

Arranged at each end of the car floor A are three coupling members designated 1, 2, and 3 and the coupling members 1 and 2 are similar as to construction. Each of the coupling members 1 and 2 comprises an approximately rectangular block 3 that is formed adjacent to one end and interiorly thereof with an opening 4;. Mounted within the opening l on one side thereof is a block 5 of insulating material that has one end disposed within a recess 6 formed in the block 3 A spring metal contact arm 7 is secured at one end to the outer end of the block 5 and is arranged to normally engage a contact plate 8 secured upon the outer end of a supporting block 9 therefor. The block 9 is similar to the one 5 and arranged within a similar recess. Formed in the adjacent end face of the block 3 on opposite sides thereof are plug receiving openings 10. In this connection it will be noted that one of the members 1 and 2 at each end of the car is provided with the openings 10 and the other with contact plugs 11. The contact plugs 11 are designed to extend within the openings 10 and to engage the contact members 7 and 8 so that a train consisting of a number of cars may be electrically connected in such manner that when one car is uncoupled from the rest a signal will be operated.

The members 1 and 2 are provided with openings and plugs 11 and the plungers 12 are slidable in openings 13 which communicate with the opening 4. These plungers are adapted to engage the contact arm 7 so that when they are moved inwardly the contact arm 7 will be moved out of contacting position with relation to the plate 8. The

connect the cars of a train with one another and that the members when coupled, as clearly shown in Fig. 4 in the drawings, move the plungers 12 inwardly and force the contact arms 7 out of engagement with the plates 8 thus breaking the circuit.

When the members are coupled however, the plugs 11 on one of the members eXtend into openings 10 on the other members and engage the contact portions 7 and 8; thus an electrical connection between the cars of a train is bad. Each of the members 3 comprises a block 16 that is secured by means of a cord or flexible element 17 to the car floor A as at 18. Formed in one side face of the block 16 of each of themembers 3 is a pair of plug receiving openings 19 and on the opposed I'ace of each of the bodies or block 16 are carried plugs 20 similar to the ones 11 and arranged to extend in any of the openings10 of the several coupling members. The members 3 are used as circuit breakers as shown in Fig. 5 in the drawlngs and after either one of the coupling members 1 and 2 at the ends of the cars is coupled, one of the coupling members 1 or 2 not in use is coupled with the ad] acent coupling member 3 so that the block 16 thereof engages the plunger and causes the contacts to be spaced, thus breaking the circuit.

Referring particularly to Fig. 5 wherein I have illustrated a diagrammatic View of the signal ing device as it would appear when connected with a train composed of several cars, 21 designates a hell or other signal that is to be carried in the cab of the locomotive of the train and which is connected with a battery 22 or other suitable source of current supply also carried by the locomotive. A conductor 23 leads from one side of the source of current to the signal 21 and from the signal 21 a conductor 24 leads and is connected with the contact plate 8 on the coupling member 1 that is carried by the locomotive and which is coupled with the coupling member 2 of the adjacent car of the train relative to the locomotive. A conductor 25leadsfrom the other side of the source of current 22 and is connected with the contact arm 7 of the coupling member 1 carried by the locomotive as clearly shown in Fig. 5 in the drawings. The plungers 11 are moved inwardly so as to space the contact members 7 and 8 of both members 1 and 2- that are coupled to connect the locomotive with the car adjacent thereto. Each car of the train is provided with four coupling members, two at each end. Conductors 26 and 27 connect corresponding coupling members at the ends of each car and branch conductors 28 and 29 are arranged in pairs at each end of the car and connect the other corresponding coupling members with the conductors 26 and 27. At the rear end of the end car the coupling members 1, 2, and 3 are all connected with one another so that the circuit is broken or better the contact members 7 and 8 of the members 1 and 2 at the rear end of the rear car of the train is spaced. The unused coupling members between the rear end of the rear car and the locomotive are coupled with one another so that the circuit is completely open.

The blocks 1 and 2 are formed with openings 30 to receive the conductors that are connected with the plates 8 and contact arms 7. Should one of the cars of the train become uncoupled and the coupling members moved out of coupling engagement with one another the plungers 12 are free to be moved outwardly and the spring arms 7 moved back into normal position and engage the plates 8 thus closing the circuit and causing the signal 21 to operate. The members 3 in being arranged as circuit breakers as shown in Fig. 5 prevent the circuit being closed by the unused coupling members 1 and 2 at each end of the cars of the train as will be readily seen that if the members 3 were not connected with the unused coupling members, the circuit would be closed through the branch conductors 28 and 29 on each car. Conductors 31 and 32 are connected with the conductors 25 and 24 and with the contact members of the coupling member 2 that is carried by the locomotive. It will be readily seen that I have provided coupling members which may be selectively used. For example should it be desirable to use the coupling member 2 instead of 1 to connect the locomotive with the rest of the train it may be done and the coupling member 1 arranged relatively to the member 3 1 as it is shown in Fig. 5 with relation to the member 2.

In practice, I have found that the form of my invention, illustrated in the drawings and referred to in the above description, as the preferred embodiment, is the most ellicient and practical; yet realizing that the conditions concurrent with the adoption of my device will necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize the fact that various minor changes in details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, when required, without sacrificing any. of the advantages of my invention, as

set forth.

What is claimed is 1. The combination with a train including a plurality of cars of an electrical circuit, a signal connected in the circuit and to be arranged in the locomotive of the train, a pair of circuit closing coupling members carried at each end of each of the cars of the train and having contact members, a circuit breaker member carried at each end of each of the cars of the train and being provided on one side with plug receiving openings and on its other side with plugs, one of the coupling members of each pair being formed with plug receiving openings and the other of each pair with plugs normally engaging said contact members carried by each of the coupling members and operatively connected in the circuit, means carried by each of the coupling members to hold the contact members out of engagement with each other when the coupling members are in coupled position, said contact members automatically moving into contact engagement with one another when the coupling members are uncoupled.

2. The combination with an electric circuit, a signal in said circuit, a pair of circuit closing coupling members designed to be located at the ends of the cars of a train and arranged in said circuit and provided with contact members automatically movable into contact position when the coupling members are uncoupled, plungers slidably mounted in the coupling members and projecting therefrom when the contact members are in contacting position and adapted when the coupling members are coupled to be moved inwardly to carry the contacting members out of such contacting position, said coupling members being provided with coacting interfitting connecting means for holding them coupled together and a circuit breaker having similar connecting means for coupling it to either of the said coupling members to engage the plungers thereof and maintain the contact members out of position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ELLIS S. WRIGHT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

